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Ulysses S. Grant (originally born Hiram Ulysses Grant) was born on April 27, 1822 to his father, Jesse Root Grant and his mother Hannah (Simpson) Grant. He was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio.
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At the age of 17, Grant was appointed to the U.S Military Academy at West Point, New York. He was appointed by Congressman Thomas L. Hamer. After his registered name mistakenly appeared as Ulysses S. Grant, this became his adopted name. Grant spends his next four years at West Point as a cadet.
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Ulysses S. Grant graduates from West Point ranking 21st out of 39. He was then assigned to the Fourth Infantry Regiment with a rank of brevet second lieutenant.
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After graduation, Grant serves in the Mexican-American war. Although he was only assigned as a quartermaster, he faces battles such as Churabusco & Chapultepec. Despite finding the war as "unjust" he led a calvary charge at the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. Grant admits to discovering military leadership through this war, but thought it was an unjust war nonetheless due to the fact territorial gains were going to be used for the expansion of slavery.
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On August 22, 1848 Grant marries Julia Dent, having been engaged to her since meeting her in 1844 while he was visiting a West Point classmate's family in Missouri. Ulysses and Julia had four children: Frederick, Ulysses Jr. ("Buck"), Ellen, and Jesse.
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Grant had begun being transferred to several different posts without his wife, Julia, and their children. This made Grant unhappy and led him in a downward spiral of drinking problems. It wasn't until July 31, 1854 that Grant resigned due to his heavy drinking. Grant moves him and his family back to Missouri where he encountered problems as a civilian. He was unable to successfully farm the land given to him by his father-in-law and failed in real-estate, leaving him unemployed for some time.
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The Civil War begins on April 12, 1861 when the Confederate Army attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. A few days later Abraham Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers. This attack sparks a sense of Patriotism in Grant where he is also inspired while at a patriotic rally in Galena, Illinois. He leaves his fathers store and volunteers to re-enter the the military serving in the Union army the day after the call for volunteers.
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Beginning on April 6, 1862, Confederate Army under the command of General Johnston make a surprise attack on General Grant in southwestern Tennessee. Grant was notorious for being more concerned with his men's actions rather than his enemies which led his men to be attacked. The night of and morning after, Grant gains a strong position when more soldiers under General Buell joins him and his men. Grant's counterattack successfully forced the rebels back.
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Pemberton surrenders to Grant at Vicksburg. This fall of Vicksburg helped Grant and the Union out by gaining them control over the Mississippi River as well as splitting the Confederacy in two.
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On April 9, 1865 commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, surrenders the Confederacy to General Ulysses S. Grant and his Union Army. After a series of battles lost by the Confederacy, and having critical supplies captured, Lee finally takes up Grant's offer of surrendering.
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The assassination of Abraham Lincoln had quite the effect on Ulysses S. Grant. Earlier on the day of his assassination, Lincoln invited Grant and his wife Julia to go to Ford's Theater, in which they declined due to having other plans. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, passing the following morning. Grant, and many other government leaders, thought they were targets in Booth's plot. Grant stands alone at Lincoln's funerals a couple of days later, openly showing emotion.
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Grant receives a promotion from Congress titling him the General of the Amry of the United States. This was a newly created rank position, in which Grant was the first to receive making him the first four star General in United States History. He was to oversee the military portion of Reconstruction.
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While still commanding General, Grant enters the 1868 Presidental Campaign as he is nominated by the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He ran against Democrat Horatio Seymour, who was not for Reconstruction. Grant won the election by 300,000 votes.
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Grant is sworn into office and in his inaugrual address, immediately encourages for the ratification of the 15th amendment (granting African American men the right to vote), as well as encouraging proper treatment of Native Americans. At the age of 46, Grant becomes the youngest United States President thus far.
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Grants encouragement of ratifying the 15th amendment finally happens on February 3, 1870, almost a year after it was passed by Congress. This law now prohibits state and federal government from denying male citizens the right to vote based on their race or color.
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Grant is reelected for a second term as president and is inaugurated on March 4, 1873. This time he won 56% of the popular vote with a huge Electoral College win 286 to 66. This was after the ratification of the 15th amendement so many Southern African American men voted in favor for Grant. This will be his last term as president.
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Grant's throat cancer begins to spread and becomes very debilitating. He has a hard time dealing with the pain where he can barely eat. Eating involved liquids only and in very small portions, resulting in Grant ending up being about 120 pounds. He knows he does not have much time left and begins writing his memoirs.
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The memoir collection that Grant began less than a year ago is finally completed just days before his death. It will be published soon after his death by Mark Twain. This memoir helps to support his family after his death with over 300,000 copies sold, earning around $450,000. Mainly on his military career, Grant's 2 volume memoir is still considered the best written memoirs written by a United States President.
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Ulysses S. Grant was surrounded by his wife, children, and three grandchildren in the Mount McGregor cottage in New York when he passed at about 8 am the morning of July 23, 1885. The death was caused by the throat cancer he was diagnosed with just about a year prior.
